Starting my diary

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stripeddonkey
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by stripeddonkey »

She had a fab home. I have no doubt she loved you as much as you did her. RIP Queenie. X

HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

so after the heartbreak over Texas and Queenie - as Little Mo had taken to sleeping in the next box - this left Specs on her own on the perches. As the cold weather was coming, we started bundling the other three into the main coup in the dark. We did this for 2 nights and then I locked the door for their coup, so they had to go into the big house.

My word, did I feel guilty that day. I rushed home thinking they would still be in the run in the dark, but relieved to find they were in the big house. They weren't perching, as they were used to sitting on the Eglu floor.

So we were back to one happy flock again, as they all get on. Have to say, that was the quickest integration we have had! :-D
HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Little Mo stopped laying 2 days before I found her belly was swollen.

Straight to the vets, who confirmed eyp - she has been on Loxicom and Baytril for 7 days, but she is not getting better. We are going to keep her as comfortable as possible. But.... {cry} {cry}

She was one of the first rescues and we have had her 2 1/2 years
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KarenE
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by KarenE »

Oh Hilly, how terribly sad. It is doubly heartbreaking to lose them at this time of year. I lost my Tigger on Boxing Day. Apologies of course, Little Mo may come round and I really hope she starts responding to treatment >fi<

It never gets any easier, to be honest, but I'm afraid it's around this age that the ex batts start to develop their problems. The best you can do is keep her comfortable, give her a fighting chance with treatment and then if that is not working, chose how and when to let her go. It is so tough, especially after losing Queenie so recently {hug}

It is small consolation right now, but the life you gave Little Mo, Texas and Queenie would have been just the most fabulous thing that would have happened to them. Never forget that you gave those girls a proper chicken life after the cages, no matter how long or short it was. When I lost my first set of ex batts, I was hearbroken but I figured they had decided they were moving on so I could give some new rescues a chance of life. That's the way I choose to look at it now.

Let us know how she (and you!) is doing
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Thanks Karen - that's a lovely way of thinking about it.

Little Mo has been running around the garden over the weekend, as fast as she can, complete with wings flapping! She has started being sneaky with her meds though, holding it in her beak until OH lets go, then shaking it all over me! Little monkey.

Over the past week or so, Specs feathers have been all over everywhere. When she runs, feathers just fall out. When she shakes, there are so many left on the floor. Moulting I thought. Confirmed this morning when we went down in the dark to feed/clean out - completely bald back!
Cheshire Chick
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

I do hope that little Mo will be OK Hilly. EYP is my biggest dread as unfortunately I have had a few experiences with it in the past. My little Violet is moulting like mad at the moment to. I have never had a chicken moult as much as she is. She has lost her tail completely and has a bald bottom and back. Can't believe it with all this cold weather. She is the same age as Rose, but Rose has not moulted. Violet looks such a tatty mess but thankfully it doesn't seem to be bothering her and she has been dust bathing (or mud bathing) to her hearts content this morning. Good luck with little Mo.
HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Little Mo - her comb has now started to shrink...she doesn't seem to be "suffering" but doesn't like these early mornings!

Specs - Tuesday lunchtime I caught someone pecking her bald back, so straight out with the purple spray. Unfortunately, the nozzle was blocked and I had to go back to work. OH was home early so I asked him to spray her once she had roosted. Well, as you can imagine, it went everywhere - she jumped out the coop squarking (and so did the others).

This morning, both Matty and Spook were quarrelling with each other (loudly) over who went in the nest box first. Spooks turfed Matty off, then Matty sat on her. When I had to lock them in to go to work - they were squashed in side by side. Funny little girls :-D
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sandy
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by sandy »

Aw Hilly lots of {hug} to Little Mo, bless her I hope for a christmas miracle for her and lots of love to you xxx
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
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HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Little Mo's tum has gone down. When I spoke to Ashley (my vet) he said to take her off the painkillers and monitor her. So have done. She is running round, back to herself. :-D

Specs - all her feathers are growing back through the purple spray, but her undercarriage feels spiky.

Spooks is now under the weather, but I cant feel any swelling nor anything wrong with her. I suspect its egg related as she had been laying rather thin shelled eggs. So I have been putting limestone flour in her food and Avipro (for everyone). I don't know what else to think of
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kitla
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by kitla »

mine stop laying in the winter so I dont have that problem, but try some cod liver oil, the vitamin d might make up for the lack of sunshine & help her absorb more calcium.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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KarenE
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by KarenE »

Spooks might be packing in laying, that might be the reason for the soft shelled eggs - they can do that when they are going off and on lay. Has she moulted? Is she still eating okay?

Excellent to hear that Little Mo is back to good health )t' Just goes to show that EYP doesn't have to be a terminal sentence.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Lovely weekend with the girls out in the garden, especially yesterday - we were all sitting in the sunshine. Me reading and the girls sunbathing! :-D

Spooky may be giving up laying for the winter, but she does look abit untidy with her feathers, so it could be moulting. Not a full, chuck all her feathers off, like Specs. She is eating and will still flap up onto my arm for a grape.

Specs feathers have all come back and some are shining purple because of the spray.

Mo still good, lots to say and lots of bird seed to peck up.

The blooming picky sparrows chuck out what they don't want onto the floor and the chickens eat it instead.

Tracy and Matty are the only ones laying at the moment.

There was a very soft shelled egg on the bottom of the coup this morning, which broke as I moved it. Chicken breakfast sorted then.

I have been putting cod liver oil in their mash for a couple of weeks.

OH has started making cider this year. We have 7 apple trees and normally all the apples get chucked away in March after being stored all winter. The pulp from the pressed apples have the girls going barmy - yet they wont eat apples, even when I cut them into quarters.

If there anyone else who, in these dark morning, shine the torch on a patch of grass so they can see what they are eating?? )w(
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kitla
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by kitla »

good grief, your girls come out in the dark?! My lot are right wussies, I dont open up till about 8.15 at, any earlier & they just stay there - even brave Bill.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Some of my flock are up at 5.00am , early birds get the best bits in the morning.
I know my boys are awake .
Bob
HilierWard
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Re: Starting my diary

Post by HilierWard »

Spooky is definitely moulting, when she runs she leaves behind a trial of feathers! yesterday when I stroked her, she screamed! Her temperament has definitely changed.

MoMo is still doing well and running round the garden after me, as usual.

Specs I think is trying to remember how to lay eggs as I have had a couple teeny weeny eggs that only contained the white.

Does anyone know if there are any rehomings as I have a spare coup and run that needs some new rescues in. :-D

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